Engagement of Blades
by 2shy2call911
Summary: In which Lovino contemplates how attractive Feliciano is with a sword; then he gets his butt kicked.


Swift, powerful, fluid: these were not words one would generally use to describe Feliciano.

Yet, as he lunged at Kiku and metal struck against metal with a loud clash, Lovino found himself stuck in a trance. His eyes were glued to the two men on the field. There weren't any better words to describe the way Feliciano looked at that very moment.

He and Kiku circled each other like they were performing an intricate dance. They bounced side-to-side, weapons darting out in failed attempts to strike one another. The fact that Feliciano could so easily hold himself up against the older nation was astounding. It was even kind of hot, if Lovino were to be honest.

Kiku scuttled forward. Feliciano leaped back with a stab. Kiku dodged and refuted by slashing his sword. It sliced through the empty air. Their motions were a blur of white.

Feliciano flicked his sword as he jumped back. It narrowly missed its target. Kiku threw another stab. Their weapons weaved around each other and then clashed. Feliciano increased their distance. Kiku stabbed and slashed, forcing Feliciano to continue jumping back.

Then, Feliciano side-stepped. They were back to circling each other. Their swords flicked in sync. Kiku retreated as Feliciano lunged, arm outstretched. The tip of his blade made contact with Kiku's forearm.

Kiku spun around and began to walk off in defeat. Feliciano pumped his fist in the air with a happy cry, taking off his helmet and holding it at his side.

"That was so fun!" he gushed as he made his way over to the others.

Kiku calmly removed his own helmet and placed it on the bench next to him, along with his sword. "You did good, Feli. I wasn't expecting such a challenge." He gave a gentle smile and Feliciano beamed in response.

"You did great, too! I didn't expect you to be more of an offensive type."

"Yes. I didn't expect you to be defensive."

For the most part, their conversation was lost to Lovino's ears. He didn't know a thing about fencing. Even though he had done a bit of sword-fighting in the past, he was completely ignorant when it came to the sport. A bunch of jumping, stabbing, sure, that all made sense. Other than that? His brain went to TV static.

"Hey, hey! Lovi! How'd I do?"

Feliciano slipped into the seat next to Lovino. His face was a little flushed from the fight and amber eyes were alive and full of passion. He had a wide grin on his face.

"Did I look cool out there? It was such an adrenaline rush!" His hands waved around as he spoke, bouncing up and down in his spot. Lovino gave an amused chuckle.

"You did great, Feli."

That's all it took to make Feliciano happy. His smile somehow grew wider, and it made Lovino feel like smiling, too.

Feliciano looked gorgeous with that fiery passion in his eyes. It suited him more than one would think. He was an intense person with intense feelings and his eyes just had this sort of _glow_ to them that was breathtaking.

Lovino didn't even know what to think after watching Feliciano battle like that. He knew the kid wasn't weak or anything, and in fact, that was just a common misconception that seemed to frustrate Feli to no end, but... damn.

Who knew he could look so powerful? It was like the ground quaked beneath him every time his feet hit the grass. Lovino could barely even keep up with the movements. His sword would dart out as he jumped, then dart out two more times before he landed. If one were to sound a gunshot, Feliciano would have already stabbed at least thrice.

"-ino... Lovino!"

Lovino snapped out of his thoughts with a jump and shook his head. As he regained focus, he realized he'd been staring at Feliciano for who knows how long and barely resisted the urge to slap himself in the face.

"Sorry... What were you saying?"

Feliciano giggled and shrugged it off, not vexed in the slightest. "I was asking," he said, "if you'd be up to doing a round with me!"

...What?

"You want me to fight you?"

"Yeah! It'll be fun!"

Lovino blinked, blinked again, sighed, and then shoved his face in his hands. He ignored the whine that his action earned from Feliciano and pressed his hands into his face harder.

The hell was Feliciano thinking? He knew next to nothing about sword-fighting and would get himself sliced in two if he went out there. Not everyone was able to do all that fancy sword shit, Feli! Maybe that was his plan: to get Lovino cut open so he'd be an empty shell of his former self. Then he'd take over and have Italy all to himself. Though, that just meant more paperwork for him. Lovino was fine with that.

It was only when he was starting to see colorful spots that he removed his hands. He looked at Feliciano blankly. Feliciano looked back with wide, round eyes.

"You actually want to fight me? Really? Are you trying to get me mauled?"

Lovino bit back a laugh. That was one of the dumbest ideas he'd ever heard, and that said a lot considering how many stupid things Feliciano came up with by the daily. He should have won a world record by this point: World's Dumbest Fucking Dumbass. That sounded about right.

"No, no, of course not! I just thought it'd be fun to go up against you!" Feliciano's hands flailed around as he spoke. He really was an... intense person. "Imagine it, Lovino: you and me out on the field with swords in our hands, trying to see who stabs the other first."

"That description makes me want to do it even less."

Feliciano gave a loud pout. By loud, that meant _loud._ He whined a high pitched, obnoxious noise and shook Lovino's limp arm up and down rapidly.

"Loooviiii, please?"

"No."

Feliciano huffed like a child and crossed his arms. Admittedly, he looked adorable like that, but Lovino wouldn't just give in. He'd been around Feliciano long enough to know his tricks. That little bastard could be manipulative as all hell when he really wanted something. Behind innocent smiles and pretty eyes, he was an upper class demon in disguise.

"Fine," Feliciano muttered, turning away with a huff. "I guess you're too scared to fight me."

Scared? Oh hell no. Now he was going to kick Feli's ass.

"I'm not scared!" Lovino hissed. Kiku jumped next to them on his bench, holding his hand over his heart. "Dammit, I. am. not. scared! Okay! I'll fight you, c'mon! Get your ass over here!"

Lovino bounced up from his seat and spun around to Feliciano with an impatient glare. Feliciano blinked, then laughed. It was a buttery smooth noise and sweet like honey. He stood up slower than Lovino would have liked.

"Okay!" Feliciano agreed. "But we'll have to put you into a uniform first." He turned. "Kiku, do you happen to have any spares you think Lovi could fit into?"

Kiku nodded. "Yes. I can go inside to check. Will you also want a sword?"

Five minutes and one game of dress-up later, Lovino found himself head-to-toe in a fencing uniform (excluding the helmet, which was being held at his side) while he watched Feliciano explain to him the basic stance.

"So, you stand like this," he crouched ever so slightly as he spoke, "and you jump back and forth pretty much, and you poke your sword out." He demonstrated by jumping, stabbing, jumping back, and stabbing again. His sword gleamed in the sunlight.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Lovino said, waving his hand dismissively. "You're not the only one who sword-fought back in the day."

"I'm just trying to help." Feliciano gave a pout. "Besides, techniques have changed a lot since then!"

"It's fine. Now, are we gonna do this, or what?"

With a sigh, Feliciano turned. "Kiku, you ready?"

They both put on their helmets and got into position. Lovino swallowed, digging the soles of his shoes into the earth beneath him. Maybe pretending he knew what he was doing wasn't such a good idea after all, but whatever. He wasn't going to get shown up by Feliciano of all people.

Kiku sounded for them to go in his quiet voice and Lovino immediately went in for the kill, pouncing forward and stabbing. Feliciano was quick on his feet and jumped back. He sent out a stab of his own which Lovino barely managed to dodge.

"Shit," he hissed, clumsily jumping away. The sword in his hand was a complete stranger. It felt weird and bulky as he tried to move it the way Feliciano did. The younger moved with such grace.

He sent a series of stabs at Lovino one after the other. Lovino tried to copy Feliciano's earlier actions from the battle with Kiku, but ended up stumbling over himself and falling on his back. His helmet toppled off with a clunk. Feliciano towered over him, pointing the sword against his chest. He pulled off his helmet with a smirk playing at his lips.

The rays of sun cast over his head, forming a glow above him that almost looked like a halo. Lovino's chest rose and fell with his heavy breaths. His gaze followed the tip of the sword up to Feliciano's face and the look the younger was giving him made Lovino's cheeks glow with heat.

"I win," was Feliciano's simple words, yet they somehow managed to make Lovino all the more attracted to him in that very moment.

"Yeah," he breathed. "I guess you do."

Feliciano winked before he removed the sword, helping the elder stand. Lovino dusted off the back of his pants and a faint pink dusted across his cheeks. A million and one pathetic butterflies scattered about in his chest, wings flapping just as clumsily as Lovino's movements on the field had been.

"I went easy and you and you still didn't last more than a minute," Feliciano teased, letting go of Lovino's arm. Lovino would have missed the contact had Feli not been such a little fucking bastard.

"Fuck off," he responded in the way any person with self respect would. "I just haven't done this in years, that's all."

"Suuure." Feliciano smiled knowingly and Lovino was torn between wanting to kiss him and wanting to smack the stupid look off his face. He decided on a compromise.

With little warning, he pulled Feliciano into him and gently smacked their lips together. Teeth tugged at Feli's bottom lip as a way of saying "fuck you." Feliciano muffled a sweet laugh against Lovino and returned the kiss, eyes fluttering shut. His arms found their way to their place around the other man's waist.

After a moment, they broke apart. The fluttering in Lovino's chest had intensified by the thousands. He could almost hear the flapping ringing in his ears.

"I love you," Feliciano cooed easily as he stepped back. His eyes were full of a different kind of passion now, a passion consisting of adoration, flirtatious tendencies, and pure love. They were always gorgeous, but now they were like a priceless work of art.

Lovino went to respond, to return the suffocating words of love and warmth, when he met Kiku's gaze in the distance. He then flipped at the realization of the blatant PDA they were showcasing.

"Don't stare, you fucking pervert!"

Kiku jumped and looked as if Lovino had just insulted his non-existent mother. "I-I'm sorry!"


End file.
